Cavaliers hire Alex Jensen to coach NBADL team in Canton

The Cavaliers dipped into the Division I college ranks on Tuesday when they hired Alex Jensen to be Canton's coach in the National Basketball Association Development League.

Jensen, 35, was an assistant coach at St. Louis University under Rick Majerus.

"Alex is a great fit for our team and organization and what we want to develop and accomplish in Canton," Canton general manager Wes Wilcox said in a prepared statement. "He has a very successful and diverse background that is rooted in strong defensive principles and learned from one of the best coaches and basketball teachers in college basketball in Rick Majerus.

"Alex is also a strong communicator, has natural coaching instincts and understands the importance of building a team with a strong defensive foundation. We are very excited for him to get started."

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Jensen played under Majerus at the University of Utah, where he was the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year in 2000. The Utes lost to Kentucky in the 1998 NCAA championship game. Two future Cavaliers, guard Andre Miller and center Michael Doleac, were key performers on that team.

Jensen played professionally overseas in Turkey for seven seasons (2000-07). He was named All-FIBA Europe Cup Defender of the Year in 2004.

He also led the Yakima Sun Kings to the 2002-03 CBA title.

After his playing career was over, he joined forces with Majerus with the Billikens. St. Louis earned its first postseason appearance in five years in 2009-10, when it won 23 games. Last year, the Billikens allowed only 62.4 points per game, which caught Wilcox's eye.

"I would like to thank St. Louis and especially Coach Rick Majerus, who has taught me so much, first as a player and later as a coach on his staff," Jensen said in a prepared statement. "He is one of the best in basketball and I will always be very grateful for the many, many things I have learned from him.

"This is a rare and unique opportunity to be part of a great organization. I'm honored to be selected as the first coach in Canton franchise history and excited to get to work."

He was named the 1994 Utah Mr. Basketball and selected Utah Gatorade Player of the Year by USA Today while at Viewmont High School.

Jensen will be introduced at a news conference next week in Canton.

The Canton team, which has yet to be named, will open its D-League season on Nov. 25 vs. Iowa.